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We think of plastic as separate from “pure” nature. Given it’s ubiquity in air, water, soil, human bodies, as Heather Davis points out in Plastic Matter (2022), “plastic is now nature…Despite the fact that plastic is the arch-synthetic material, it remains thoroughly of the earth. Everything is ultimately enfolded back into the geologic layer, including plastic…”In this workshop, we will talk about plastic and the desert, and their connection to deep time. We’ll also investigate our personal relationship to plastic historically and currently. What is your first memory of plastic? Your most recent interaction with plastic? We will head outside on Boxo’s property to observe and sketch the dramatic shapes of the desert rocks and flora. Back in the studio we will sketch/draw the shapes and colors of some plastic detritus collected in the desert. We will then work on both a large group drawing and individual drawings inspired by the sketches and the plastic color palette. Together and individually, we will create a visual investigation of “plastic is now nature.”
All materials will be supplied. Please bring a colorful (not white or clear) found plastic object to contribute.
Constance Old is an artist who has worked with upcycled paper and plastic for over 25 years. In 2018, as part of her residency at BoxoPROJECTS, she collected garbage with the Joshua Tree Clean Team. Using some of the gathered material, she installed a temporary intervention on Highway 62, “Always One Shoe, Never Two.” She also participated in Joshua Treenial 2023, producing a billboard for Hwy 62 and a zine distributed at Boxo, both relating to plastic pollution in the desert. She received her MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University.
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62732 Sullivan Rd, Joshua Tree, CA, United States, California 92252
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